Unpaid leave agreement (Greece)

Published byDocMuse

The agreement by which a Greek employer and employee set up unpaid leave: the period, the return date, the suspension of work and pay while the employment contract continues, and the return to the same job. In Greece such leave is granted only by an individual written agreement, for up to a year (art. 62 of Law 4808/2021) — the employer is not obliged to grant it — and the agreement must be filed in ERGANI II before the leave starts. That is why it is a document for both to sign, not a mere request.

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Common questions

Is a Greek employer obliged to grant unpaid leave?

No. Unpaid leave is granted only by an individual written agreement, for up to a year and extendable (art. 62 of Law 4808/2021), and the employer may refuse it. That is why this document is an agreement both parties sign, not a request: it sets the period, the return date and the employee's return to the same job on the same terms.

When and how is unpaid leave declared in the Greek ERGANI II system?

Before the leave begins: the employer files the written agreement in ERGANI II before its first day and sends a copy to e-EFKA, the Greek social insurance body. If the parties do not meet, they can sign it free of charge through the digital certification of a private agreement on docs.gov.gr, and the signed PDF is what gets uploaded.

What happens to pay and social insurance during unpaid leave in Greece?

The employee receives no pay and, under the law, no social insurance contributions are owed for that time. The employment contract does not end, though: only work and pay are suspended, and when the leave ends the employee returns to the job. For a long leave, check in advance with e-EFKA, the Greek social insurance body, how the insurance record is affected.